Local producer and DJ Joe Packman writes about how his own experience with depression has led him to bringing the best Blackpool creatives together to raise money for local mental health charity Counselling in the Community.
On Saturday 27th and Sunday 28th July, my friend Hannah and I, along with Dirty Blondes bar, are hosting a weekend full of live music, a silent art auction and 48 hours of general good times, featuring some of the most talented individuals along the Fylde Coast. This has been organised to raise funds and awareness for a local charity called Counselling in the Community.
The charity’s main aim is to make counselling services as accessible as possible to anyone struggling with their mental health. Stuart and the team work primarily from their base on Waterloo Road in the middle of Blackpool, but they also have a hub in Fleetwood, and a dedicated children’s centre in Bispham, equipped with a state-of-the-art sensory room.
You don’t need to be referred to them by a GP, you don’t even need to see a doctor to reach out to the CITC team.
The service is invaluable to many, due to the charity’s key focus on compassion and simplicity. You don’t need to be referred to them by a GP, you don’t even need to see a doctor to reach out to the CITC team. Before any sessions begin you will have a 30-minute initial assessment with someone to review anything you’d like to discuss – this is to ensure you’re paired up with someone you’ll get the most from. After that you pay substantially less than you would to see a private counsellor and won’t be cut off after eight sessions and forced to the back of the waiting list, like you can be with NHS referrals.
I came across the charity in 2019 after being diagnosed with moderate depression, something I’d been living with since a relationship break up in April 2018 but had no real idea. I was functioning… just about. I’d wash and shower, go to work, eat, and sleep, but I didn’t really want to do any of that – I didn’t want to do anything. My doctor was helpful, but when it came to finding someone to talk to, I was met with either automated voicemail messages or a long waiting list, and neither were ideal.
Counselling in the Community was there for me until I made the call that I was doing ok and no longer needed a weekly chat.
After a few texts with CITC I had my initial assessment and began counselling three weeks later. It was scary, having no past experience of mental health services I had no idea what to expect. On arrival the white coats and clipboards I’d pictured were replaced with warm rooms, comfy chairs and someone sat opposite who’d listen to me empty my head on a weekly basis, and in turn leave me feeling 10 tonnes lighter.
I had sessions until 2020, when a global pandemic hit, and my personal life began to move very quickly. Counselling in the Community was there for me until I made the call that I was doing ok and no longer needed a weekly chat. While there are many different counselling styles and trained individuals within the team who specialise in certain methods, I only saw it as a chat with someone friendly who was willing to listen.
Hannah and I held two fundraising events last year, raising close to £2,000. We found real joy in meeting new people, getting friends involved and finding a willing, talented, and amazing bunch of people who could help and contribute at a moment’s notice. This year has followed the same blueprint – with us hoping the message has spread amongst the creative community, encouraging others to do something similar, or maybe offer a helping hand next year with our increasingly grand plans for the event weekender.
If you have any free time over the event weekend we’d love to see you. Admission is free, and Dirty Blondes is offering an amazing 50% off food for table bookings in advance. Come and watch a band, check out some local artwork, buy a raffle ticket or two, and find out about the unbelievable work this charity does for people who really need it. If you’re having a tough time at the moment Counselling in the Community is there for you – check out their website, drop them a message on their social channels and just know that things will get easier.
www.citc.team
@citccharity Charity No. 1195816.
Special thanks to contributors to the weekend: The Fylde Ukulele Network, Sophie Jones, Rhy Grooves, The Hearse, Laura Green, Aestas Jewellery, Rik Baird, Brave Type, Sandy Floss, Duke Woodwork, Ellena Dallas, Brukroe, Grumpy Girl Graphics, Mol, Jake and the team at Dirty Blondes.
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